When I first realized I was injured a couple of months ago (*I can’t believe its been that long*) I posted a message on my team’s forum and the owner suggested I might have ITBS and gave me his phone number. I politely told him he was wrong because the pain was on the inside of my knee. Remind me never to tell a man who knows a lot more about running than I do that he’s wrong ever again.
I am 99% sure I have ITBS and not Runner’s Knee. And I am couldn’t be happier.
Here’s Why:
~Illiotibial band pain is common in marathoners.
~It is exacerbated by downhill running.
and track work
~I have a history of IT band problems.
although it has never affected my knees
~IT pain affects the side of the knee. My pain is on the inside, but off to the side, as well as on the outside, but never right below of above the knee.
~Slow running intensifies the pain, fast running is easier.
what kind of injury is this?! Faster is better? My kind of injury!
~Rest alone will not alleviate the pain. You have to stretch, foam roll, and massage the IT band.
I have scheduled a sports massage for tomorrow…a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.
~My doctor was not convinced I had runner’s knee. He just didn’t know exactly what it was.
Why Am I So Happy?
~Because I have been doing all the wrong things!
~The IT Band is fickle and tricky but if you do the right things, it is usually able to be resolved.
~I ran 1 mile today in 7:47 with absolutely no pain.
Except for my sore quads and glutes from yesterday’s squats and lunges. But I’ll take that.
Yesterday was 5 min, today was 8. Tomorrow I’m going for 3 miles.
To Be Continued…
13 comments:
I am SO glad to hear you got in a nice, fast, painfree mile!!!! I really hope that is all it is and it clears up fast, you are doing all the right things! Keep me posted, have a great weekend!
AHHHH!! This makes my day. Keri, I am extremely happy for you. I am so glad you figured out what the problem was and how to fix it!! Wahoo...good luck tomorrow!
When I had ITB I could only run fast. ITB is associated with NOT ENOUGH pronation, so check your shoes, you might need neutral if you have stability. Also, what helped a lot is putting cardboard under my heel to lift it up a bit. DO you know Lore of running? by Noakes. Great book, libraries have it, great info on ITB.
Yay! So glad to hear it!! Isn't it just like a lightbulb going off when you figure it out? That's how it was when I figured out my hip pain was what caused the torn tendon in my foot! Now I am working with a chiropractor and keeping my mileage under 15 miles a week to fix everything!
Hope you're 100% again soon!!
Saw that Hungry Girlfriend (Janae) posted your blog on her blog, and I had to see who she was talking about (I'm nosy like that...no lie).
Looking forward to following you and your training, and reading some of your older posts!
Nellie
http://midlifecruiser.blogspot.com
(I'm a 36 year old full time RVer and runner...eating my way across the country!)
My apologies to Stephanie, since I claimed it was not an ITB since you never mentioned it was on the outside of your knee...You said it was just under your knee cap. Or did I read it wrong?
If it is not on the outside of your knee, keep looking...
But I ma glad you figured it out if it is outside your knee.
ITB is nasty, that's what I have and have been struggling for over one year with it and that forced me to take 5months off running last year.
Roll it a lot and don't run on roads!!! I mean never!
Not running on roads, wearing some kind of knee support (I don't have ITB support, I just wear a bandage under my knee, not over it, it would only make it worse) and rolling is the only thing that seems to keep it under control. With the greatest emphasis on the first and third one.
That being said, now I am not sure whether there is something to be happy about:( I do not know anything about runner's knee but I know a lot about ITB and I know that it is very difficult to keep it happy once you screw it up a lot (which you did it seems, since it took over one month to heal). Maybe runner's knee would have been better if you can just cure it once and move on. My experience is that ITB is not like that and I know other people who have the same problem- it is coming back unless you are extremely careful.
Anyway, DO NOT RUN on roads. Since I have stopped running on roads and started rolling every day, it feels much better.
Also I once got a massage and ultrasound treatment on it and the next day the pain was back and it was worse than ever and I had to start the treatment all over again because pressing on ITB and fiddling around it just stressed it a lot!
I hope you will not the same problem as I do.
Yay! This is fantastic news! So happy for you! What a great feeling to be running again!
One day at a time, that is always the best way to come back from an injury. You are lucky you are on the way back. I was cycling this morning and felt 'plastic'as I cycled past the real men about to run up the mountain.
I'm so happy for you! Good luck--keep stretching!!
Yay for getting back to running! That is exciting! :)
I have recently been having some IT band issues as well. It stinks, but I have found that foam rolling is a life saver!
i agree! itbs is so much easier to deal with than runners knee. they are hard to distinguish...but i totally agree with you.
so exciting! and way to be awesome in that fast mile!!!
ITB is where all my issues started and they said I had runners knee at first too! The foam roller needs to be your BFF :)
I'm so happy to hear that your injury is moving towrad being healed. A litle at a time!
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